Scoping purpose
The primary objective of the Scoping Phase is to define the scope of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). This phase helps to establish which environmental and social issues are most likely to be affected by the project, what dataset needs to be collected, and the specific methodologies to be used in the assessment. This phase sets the boundaries for the ESIA process, ensuring that the assessment focuses on the most relevant impacts and avoids unnecessary analysis of areas that are unlikely to be affected.
By identifying key concerns early, the Scoping phase allows the project developers, environmental consultants, and regulatory bodies to agree on the critical environmental, social, and economic issues to be evaluated. This step also provides the foundation for subsequent phases of the ESIA, ensuring that resources are appropriately allocated to assess the most significant potential risks.
Methodology
The Scoping phase is an iterative process that involves several steps to establish the focus and scope of the ESIA. Depending on the type of project, the general approach includes all or some of the following:
1. Review of Project description: The project developer provides a comprehensive description of the proposed development, including its objectives, location, scale, and key activities. This description is essential for identifying potential impacts and informing the scoping process.
This is done with regular meetings and communication exchange between developer and consultants.
2. Identification of key environmental and social issues: Environmental consultants, in collaboration with the project developer, begin identifying the primary environmental and social factors likely to be affected by the project. This includes evaluating risks to biodiversity, water resources, air quality, local communities, and cultural heritage, among others.
This is done with regular meetings and communication exchange between developer and consultants.
3. Engagement with stakeholders: It is essential to engage with relevant stakeholders during this phase, including local communities, environmental groups, government agencies, and any other parties that may be affected by the project. Stakeholder input helps identify concerns, interests, and local conditions that may not be initially apparent in the project description.
This is done via open and public meetings, and conducting interviews with tailored questionnaires. Depending on the sensitivity of the project, stakeholders might be approached by the developer, or independently by the consultants. Sometimes, assistance of government agencies is necessary.
4. Setting the boundaries of the study area: The consultants define the geographical area to be studied, considering the potential impacts of the project on surrounding ecosystems, communities, and infrastructure. This also includes determining the temporal scope of the study, specifying whether short-term or long-term impacts will be assessed.
5. Determination of the methodology and data collection: Once key issues are identified, the consultants determine the methodologies to be used for data collection, modelling, and analysis. This could include field surveys, satellite imaging, interviews with stakeholders, or social impact studies. The chosen methods must be appropriate for accurately assessing the potential impacts.
During this step, the consultants have carefully reviewed the information provided by the project developer, and decide what studies are needed, and what aspects can be ruled out of the ESIA. For example:
- If the project developer previously conducted a comprehensive ecological baseline, the ESIA consultant can use that information to evaluate impacts on habitats and biodiversity, and rule out ecological surveys.
- If the development is in a remote area with minimal to no human and ecological receptors, a noise assessment might not be necessary.
- Groundwater tests will not be necessary if the project will not affect groundwater. On the contrary, for instance, if the development is a golf course, it is necessary to evaluate the baseline quality of the groundwater. Thus, the ESIA can identify whether fertilizers used to maintain the courses’ grass might infiltrate, and pollute important groundwater reservoirs.
6. Drafting the Scoping Report: After gathering all the necessary information, a Scoping Report is prepared. The purpose of the TOR is to plan and design the ESIA, outlining the proposed methodology, identified issues, study area, and any significant concerns raised during stakeholder consultations. The report is then submitted to the relevant regulatory authorities.
The ToR serves as a foundational guideline for the assessment process, ensuring that all relevant environmental, social, and economic impacts of the project are adequately evaluated and addressed, following the correct methodology.
This document tailors the content of TOR for 10 different sectors/developmental activities.
7. Review and Approval: Regulatory authorities review the Scoping Report to ensure that it appropriately addresses the most critical environmental and social aspects of the project. They may request further refinement or clarification of specific issues before granting approval to proceed with the full ESIA.
Relevance of the Scoping phase
A well-executed scoping phase ensures that the ESIA meets regulatory requirements, addresses stakeholder concerns, and ultimately leads to a more sustainable project outcome. A poor scoping assessment could miss out critical information needed in future phases, jeopardizing the overall success of the ESIA process.
For example, an inexperienced environmental consultant could conclude that no additional ecological assessments are needed after conducting a 3-day preliminary site assessment (also known as site reconnaissance, or rapid ecological assessment) during the winter. To their surprise, a few months later the site could present a higher biodiversity – with animals getting out of hibernation. Including a last-min comprehensive ecology survey (2-3 weeks long) within the Baseline phase requires securing new budget, personnel, access permits, etc., affecting the overall ESIA program and deadlines.
Conclusion
The Scoping phase plays an essential role in shaping the direction of the ESIA. It lays the groundwork for identifying and evaluating the environmental and social impacts of a project, setting the stage for more detailed analysis in subsequent phases. It not only guides the assessment to ensure a thorough analysis of the most relevant issues but also promotes collaboration among project developers, consultants, stakeholders, and regulatory authorities.
The Environment Consultant 